apparently the bretonnnia knights. have a curse. if they roll under there leadership at the start of the game all pistols used in the game directed to anyone only work on a 4+ roll. all non pistol missile weapons work on a 4+ against the brets. So basically they pray to the lady of the lake and she protects them against ranged attacks since its a ranged attack and not used in close combat like a knight would do with honor.

I would say yes the pistols don't work in close combat. just the same in a ranged attack its dirty fighting. If I remember right pistols don't work because there a wepon capable of mass destruction, and theirs no honor in that.

Another vote for Yes - the Town Cryer states that any model who wishes to fire a blackpowder weapon has to roll a 4+ first. Since pistols are fired in close combat, too, there would be no doubt on my part that the user has to test, regardless of the turn phase.

'Other shooting weapons, such as bows and crossbows,' on the other hand, get the mention that they have to roll in order to shoot (and only if aimed at actual knights), but since these cannot be used in any other phase than the Shooting Phase, the case is clear there, too.

So we have even a (maybe deliberate, in any case consequent) differentiation between weapons that can be used in the Close Combat Phase (which have to roll a 4+ to 'fire' at all, regardless of the circumstances) and weapons that can only be used in the Shooting Phase (4+ to 'shoot' at certain targets) - I would take this as another indicator that the use in close combat is indeed intended to be included in the curse (even if my blackpowder-happy Marienburgers would not like that. At all. ).

/Edit: Before this is led ad absurdum, because we all concentrate too much on the different turn phases: Yes, a charging knight would also be shot at by a crossbow pistol, even if not in the Shooting Phase per se, so the shooter would have to test, in my opinion. Since the Town Cryer does not mention turn phases, but methods of using the weapon.